PROVIDED. This proposal is for a Competitive Renewal to extend the University of Minnesota-Duluth "Bridges to the Baccalaureate Degree Program" for an additional three years. The UMD Bridges Program will continue a consortium with two local/tribal community colleges. The Bridge Program will provide research experience, peer mentoring, career counseling, and academic enrichment for eight students. Trainees will be targeted from American Indian (AI) students attending two local community colleges. The consortium partners are Lake Superior College (LSC) in Duluth, MN and Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDL) in Cloquet, MN. Our program will involve two training vehicles: the Summer Research Experience emphasizing biomedical research and science curriculum at UMD, and an Academic Year Project emphasizing hypothesis driven research performed during the school year. Changes in the current proposal that differ from the previously funded program include an extension of the Summer Research Experience, improving academic and career counseling for the Bridge Students, streamlining the number of support personnel, and placing greater emphasis on developing research activity at the consortium partner schools.